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Take Action on ACA Pediatric Dental Issues
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires insurers providing coverage through the newly established Exchanges to offer pediatric dental coverage as part of the Essential Benefits Package. Child advocates have applauded this provision because this law will allow nearly all legally residing children to have access to dental coverage.
However, much work is yet to be done in terms of defining the pediatric dental benefit and ensuring that families purchasing coverage for their children have access to quality care, adequate provider networks, and consumer protections.
CDHP along with the Delta Dental Plans of America gathered experts to develop a consensus statement on what the pediatric dental benefit should include. The result is a benefit that focuses on the child and builds on the existing employer-sponsored dental benefit infrastructure and professional guidelines to provide a sound and affordable benefit. Along with a number of supporting organizations, CDHP will be sending a letter reflecting the consensus statement to Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius. If your organization would like to sign on to this letter, please contact us.
CDHP has also submitted comments to HHS in response to the proposed rules on the Establishment of Exchanges and Qualified Health Plans and is pleased to provide model language pertaining to dental issues in the Exchanges for advocates who wish to submit comments. The model language is available here on the CDHP website. Comments must be submitted by September 28 and can be submitted online at Regulations.gov.
In the coming weeks and months CDHP will continue to provide state and national advocates and partners with targeted information on ensuring that the pediatric dental benefit in ACA is implemented in a way that benefits children and families.
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Urge the Joint Deficit Panel to Protect Oral Health Programs
The 12 member Joint Deficit Panel (The Super Committee) created by Congress last month as part of the debt ceiling deal is tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in spending cuts by a November 23.
While Congress preserved programs like Medicaid in the short-term, nothing is off the table for the Panel's recommendations, placing programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in jeopardy. Fortunately, there are a number of programs that will be protected from the $1.2 trillion in automatic across the board spending reductions that will occur if the Panel cannot reach an agreement by November 23. Medicaid and CHIP are both protected from these automatic reductions.
While it is important that Congress work for a more responsible spending plan, we must also remain vigilant in our message that significant savings cannot be found by cutting our country's critical health programs. In order to keep Medicaid, CHIP, and other vulnerable oral health programs safe, contact your legislators and members of the Joint Deficit Panel and let them know that future deficit-saving should not come on the backs of America's most vulnerable families.
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State Focus: Tragedy in Ohio Underscores the Importance of Prevention
According to a local news report, a 24 year old man died of a tooth infection in Cincinnati on Wednesday. After being unable to afford proper dental care and antibiotics, Kyle Willis eventually succumbed to the infection which could not be treated by pain medication alone. While we do not know the details of the man's situation, we do know that such tragedies are not only more common than what is reported but also that they are completely preventable. Additionally, Willis' untimely death illustrates the importance of early prevention as tooth decay during childhood often continues into adulthood, with far-reaching impact on overall health and well being throughout the course of life. Dental caries (the disease that causes cavities) is a disease that is often established before preschool but can be easily prevented through inexpensive interventions in the first years of life. No person, child or adult, should ever suffer from the pain and detrimental health effects of tooth decay, let alone be placed in a life-threatening situation as a result.
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About the Children's Dental Health Project
Founded in 1997, the Children's Dental Health Project is a national non-profit organization with the vision of achieving oral health for all children to ensure that they reach their full potential. Children's Dental Health Project (CDHP) designs and advances research-driven policies and innovative solutions by engaging a broad base of partners committed to children and oral health, including professionals, communities, policymakers and parents.
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Children's Dental Heatlh Project 1020 19th Street, NW Suite 400 Washington, District of Columbia 20036 cdhpinfo@cdhp.org 202.833.8288 www.cdhp.org
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